Sparks Fly(Divine Creek Ranch 11)(40)

“Okay, but only if you’re riding with me.” He went behind her and twisted her hair into a rope again, taking longer than he had to this time because he enjoyed the feel of it so much.

“If you don’t mind.”

One more chance to have you snuggled up against me? If this is torture, chain me to a wall, baby. “Of course I don’t mind. Do you have to work tomorrow?”

“No, I took the day off.”

He climbed on the bike and started it then held it steady for her as she got on. She wrapped her arms around him as he pulled out, and he was more than content with her snuggled up to his back.





Chapter Nine




Rachel Wolf sighed tiredly as she buckled her seat belt. She glanced in the rearview mirror at eight-month-old Levi tucked securely into his car seat. Her smile felt weary as she reached back and stroked his straight black hair from his forehead. She’d never trade him, his father, or her life for anything, but as she turned forward and put the truck in “Drive,” tears misted her eyes. Her heart thumped with guilt as she hastily swiped them when they overflowed, hoping Eli didn’t see the action as he drove his bike right behind her truck.

They were heading out to her parents’ place to drop Levi off for the evening. From there, she was riding with Eli out to the lake on his bike then over to The Dancing Pony for the rest of the evening.

Having napped well with Levi earlier, she should’ve felt rested, but the exact opposite was the case. The heat played a role, as did lack of sleep, but she would’ve been just as content to take Levi home and go right to bed. Instead, she still had the whole evening to look forward to, which was supposed to be a good thing. She wasn’t sure where her strength and energy had gone lately.

Karaoke had helped her to bounce back a bit, because clowning around with little Michael and her friends always made her happy, but the feeling had dissipated quickly. Whenever her feelings reached the surface, she’d suck it up and do what needed doing. But while she was alone, she let the tears flow, hoping Eli wouldn’t notice her bloodshot eyes and red nose.

Rachel scoffed and swiped again, swallowing them back after only a minute or two. Eli noticed everything where she was concerned.

Eli’s kiss, after he’d buckled Levi into his car seat, had been warm and tender, and not merely a quick peck. It was a kiss of love and ultimately responsible for the tears she fought now. He knew just how to touch her heart, and he probably suspected that something was wrong.

After traversing the distance to her parents’ house, she felt more in control of her emotions. She smiled happily for her mom and dad when they greeted her and took their grandson and his overnight bag from her. Forcing a smile, she kissed her them good-bye and walked past her truck in the dim driveway to where Eli was waiting with her helmet.

She should feel energized, looking forward to a whole night spent with just him, but she still wanted nothing more than to go to bed. She hadn’t ridden anywhere with Eli since before she’d gotten pregnant, and they took the baby with them practically everywhere, so they were usually in one of the trucks.

“Ready to ride, angel?” He looked at her closely in the dusky light, seeming to see inside to the welling darkness she was trying to keep hidden.

Over the lump in her throat, she whispered, “Yeah.”

She put the helmet on to hide her face from his view for a moment while she swallowed back a fresh wave of emotion and turned so he could help with her hair. He’d pulled his own hair back into a long braid before they left the ranch.

After starting his Harley, he held out his hand and assisted her as she climbed on behind him. She bit her lip as she scooted in close, pressing as much of her body as she could to his.

Her libido had taken a nosedive after having Levi the previous November, and she was beginning to worry because it had yet to bounce back. Eli had been incredibly patient with her, making sure when they did make love that she was thoroughly satisfied every time, but she didn’t feel the way she had before.

She was afraid to admit to Eli that it was possible she had some sort of hormonal imbalance. The good Lord knew he was still any woman’s ultimate fantasy in how he performed and in the way he treated her. It was unfair to him to go through the motions the way she had been, and she wondered where the fire inside her had gone. Add to that the fact that she still had baby weight to lose and her entire self-image was a little battered.

Sales on her books were great, but she had felt no new inspiration since the release of her last book, shortly before Levi had been born. She’d intended all along to take a year off to devote her time and energy to being a mom, but it secretly frightened her that no new stories were brewing in her mind the way they had prior to the birth. Even in the midst of morning sickness, new characters had constantly whispered to her, but now? Nothing.